BENEVOLENT INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 2798, 5 February 1872, Page 2

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of subscribers was held tp-day ; Mr Strode in the chair, The attendance was small,

The committee’s report stated that during the year they had been called upon to relieve a very large amount of distress, more especially during the winter mouths. The disbursements for out-door relief, exceeded the sum |expended for this purpose in 1870 by nearly L2OO, and that of 1869 by more than L4OO. This circumstance partly arose from the dearth of employment existing during the autumn and wiuter, and tte sickness at that time so prevalepfe •Jppftpg poorer classes. lu the country districts also thive had been extreme cases of distress. neoessitating the intervention of the Institution. Many of the cases at present on the books were likely to be permanent, and in some the number and absolute indigence of the family compelled the pommittee.to administer assist; apee to a more t’Uap ordinarily large amount, t the close of the year there were on the relief list 244 persons' entailing a disburse, ment of LI7 per week, of which amount L 4 2s 6d was distributed in the country districts. Th committee drew attention to the fact that in a majority of cases originated in the desertion of their wives and families by the husbands, expressed the hope that the Gpvprnjnent would bp' impressed with the necessity-far introducing' stjbh pleasures as would enable thp police to deal effectually with such offenders, The average number of inmates during the yea* was about equal to that of 1870 ; and during the same period three children were placed out at service, the committee receiving in each instance satisfactory accounts of their conduct and progress. ' The balance sheet showed that finan. oiajly, the Institute had retrograded during the year, and it would be necessary for the new committee to induce the Government to make a more liberal provision for the relief of the destitute, as otherwise it would be impossible to carry on effectively the bus! ness of the charity. The committee hoped the Colonial Parliament would yet consent te an ppdowmpnt of lf,nd in aid of the Institptb; The efforts tp obtaip honorary medicaj pttepffance w®Te unsuccessful, and tty Hflckgp was appointed medical attendant at a remuneration of 140 a ypar. The report concluded with a warm acknowledgment of Miss Coxhead’s services as teacher and act* ing matron. The balance sheet showed *n the credit side a balance from last year of L 873 19s ; Government grants, L 1,838 ; subscriptions, Iff, 058 ) fro pi other sources, 1,100 18s; tqtal, L 3 S7O 15a. The disbursements amounted to L 3,463 las, of which L 1,369 was paid for outdoor relief. The balance carried forward to 1872 is L 407 3s 3d. The report was adopted on the motion of the Rev. Mr Stuart; a vote of thanks being awarded to the Committee, Secretary (Mr Webb), and Dr Hocken. Mr Strode was re-elected President; R. B, Martin aud J. Wilkie, Vice*

Presidents. Committee : Messrs Patterson, Houghton, Murison, Howorth, Lawson, J. Fulton, Mollison, and G. R. West.